The present invention generally relates to optical devices, and more particularly, the present invention relates to optical waveguide switches, variable optical attenuators, and combination waveguide and lenslet arrays.
The increasing demand for high-speed voice and data communications has led to an increased reliance on optical communications, particularly optical fiber communications. The use of optical signals as a vehicle to carry channeled information at high speeds is preferred in many instances to carrying channeled information at other electromagnetic wavelengths/frequencies in media such as microwave transmission lines, co-axial cable lines and twisted pair transmission lines. Advantages of optical media are, among others, high-channel (bandwidth), greater immunity to electromagnetic interference, and lower propagation loss. In fact, it is common for high-speed optical communication system to have signal rates in the range of approximately several Giga bits per second (Gbit/sec) to approximately several tens of Gbit/sec.
One way of carrying information in an optical communication system, for example an optical network, is via an array of optical fibers. Ultimately, the optical fibers may be coupled to another array of waveguides, such as another optical fiber array, or a waveguide array of an optoelectronic integrated circuit (OEIC). In order to assure the accuracy of the coupling of the fiber array to another waveguide array, it becomes important to accurately position each optical fiber in the array.
Optical switches serve a variety of applications in optical communication systems. Once type of such optical switches are mechanical switches. Mechanical optical switches have been used in a variety of optical fiber routing applications to switch between particular optical signal pads to provide reliable optical transmission routes for carrying optical signals.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an optical switch includes a first waveguide holding member having a first transverse surface region and a first optical waveguide having an end terminating at the first transverse surface region, and a second waveguide holding member having a second transverse surface region which confronts the first transverse surface region of the first waveguide holding member and a second optical waveguide having an end terminating at the second transverse surface region. A guide member is operatively coupled to the first and second waveguide holding members and guides the first waveguide holding member in a transverse direction relative to the second waveguide holding member so as to selectively optically couple and decouple the ends of the first and second optical waveguides. The guide member includes a plurality of first recesses formed in the first transverse surface region of the first waveguide holding member, a plurality of second recesses formed in the second transverse surface region of the second waveguide holding member and confronting the plurality of first recesses to define a respective plurality of cavities therebetween, and a plurality of guide balls contained with the plurality of cavities, respectively.
According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an optical switch includes a first waveguide holding member having a first transverse surface region and a first optical waveguide, and a second waveguide holding member having a second transverse surface region which confronts the first transverse surface region of the first waveguide holding member and a second optical waveguide. A first lens is optically coupled to an end of the first optical waveguide and located at the first transverse surface region of the first waveguide holding member, and a second lens is optically coupled to an end of the second optical waveguide and located at the second transverse surface region of the second waveguide holding member. A guide member guides the first waveguide holding member in a transverse direction relative to the second waveguide holding member so as to selectively optically couple and decouple the first and second lenses.
According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a variable optical attenuator includes a first waveguide holding member having a first transverse surface region and a first optical waveguide having an end terminating at the first transverse surface region, and a second waveguide holding member having a second transverse surface region which confronts the first transverse surface region of the first waveguide holding member and a plurality of second optical waveguides. The plurality of second optical waveguides have respective ends which terminate at respectively different distances from the second transverse surface region. A guide member guides the first waveguide holding member in a transverse direction relative to the second waveguide holding member so as to selectively optically couple and decouple the end of the first optical waveguide to one of the respective ends of the plurality of second optical waveguides.
According to still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method of fabricating a variable optical attenuator includes placing a first optical waveguide on a first waveguide holding member such that an end of the first optical waveguide terminates at a transverse surface region of the first waveguide holding member. Also, a plurality of pedestals of a tool are placed into a respective plurality of grooves of a second waveguide holding member at a transverse surface region of the second waveguide holding member. The ends of a plurality of second optical waveguides are aligned against respective ends of the plurality of pedestals within the plurality of grooves of the second waveguide holding member. The pedestals of the tool are extracted from the respective plurality of grooves of the second waveguide holding member. Then the first and second waveguide holding members are operatively coupled with a guide mechanism such that the transverse surface of the first waveguide holding member confronts the transverse surface of the second waveguide holding member, and such that the first waveguide holding member is movable in a transverse direction relative to the second waveguide holding member.
According to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a variable optical attenuator includes a first waveguide holding member having a first transverse surface region and a first optical waveguide, and a second waveguide holding member having a second transverse surface region which confronts the first transverse surface region of the first waveguide holding member and a second optical waveguide. A guide member is operatively coupled to the first and second waveguide holding members and guides the first waveguide holding member in a longitudinal direction relative to the second waveguide holding member. Here, the longitudinal direction is perpendicular to the first and second transverse surface regions of the first and second waveguide holding members. A drive mechanism cooperates with the guide member to move the first waveguide holding member in the longitudinal direction relative to the second waveguide holding member so as to selectively increase and decrease a distance between first and second transverse surface regions of the first and second waveguide holding members.
According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method of fabricating an optical device includes placing an optical fiber lengthwise in a groove formed in surface of a waveguide holding member. A diameter of the optical fiber relative to a cross-sectional dimension of the groove is such that the optical fiber protrudes above the surface of the waveguide holding member along a length of the groove. A non-stick surface of a lid member is pressed against the optical fiber placed in the groove of the waveguide holding member and an adhesive is applied to the optical fiber and the groove. The adhesive is cured while the non-stick surface of the lid member is pressed against the optical fiber, and the non-stick surface of the lid member is then removed from the optical fiber.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, an optical device includes a waveguide holding member having a first transverse surface region and an optical waveguide, and a lenslet array holding member having a second transverse surface region which confronts the first transverse surface region of the first waveguide holding member and a lenslet array. An alignment mechanism aligns an end of the optical waveguide relative to the lenslet array and is formed at the first and second transverse surface regions of the waveguide holding member and the lenslet array holding member, respectively.